Can anyone not now agree that Michael Howard's political judgement is lamentable. The near unanimous reaction to the election has been that Labour has 'lost', and the Tories boosted their credibility. So what does Michael Howard do? Short of wearing a t-shirt with word 'loser', he could not have done anything more certain to transform the momentum in Blair's favour than announce today that he is stepping down.

Already, I've noticed, comment on TV has moved to discussing how Blair will soon be on to his fifth Tory leader, having seen off four so far. Within the time of one Howard speech, Blair now looks like a winner again - an invulnerable PM.

Stand down, yes. But not now! Do the job of changing the leadership election rules.Lt Blair's authority drain away. Watch Brown plot. And then, when Labour is on the back foot, step down. Not now!

The capacity of the Conservative Party to act against its own interests never fails to amaze me. Faced with a weakened - possibly fatally so - Blair, what does the Tory leader do? Go out of his way to make the PM look like a winner.

Amazing.